Hair Loss in Women: What are the Culprits?

Although men are more prone to hair loss, women are not immune to it. In fact, these days the number of women suffering from hair loss has increased significantly. Women who face hair loss can start having low self-esteem. This is quite understandable as since ancient civilizations we’ve learned that women take pride in their locks. It’s actually not just women who get all worked up when they start seeing that their losing their lustrous locks, men too, get worried.

Are you getting concerned about a few strands of your hair in your comb, brush or on the floor every day? Before you get all worked up and think that you’re losing your hair you should also consider the possibility that those few strands of hair may just be because of the hair’s natural cycle of shedding and growing new hair. Or if you think your hair fall is more than the normal, improper hair care may be the culprit.

Natural Hair Fall
Our hair falls and grows back. This is a natural cycle. Every month, the hair grows about ½ inch on the average. When summer time hits, the hair grows faster. It also grows faster between the ages of 16-24. Every strand of hair normally can last about 7 years before falling off and then replaced by a new strand. Hair loss happens when your hair falls more at a faster rate compared to the rate of hair replacement.

Hair Loss in Women: What Causes Them?
There are quite a number of reasons why women experience hair loss. A new study revealed that the factors involved in hair loss in women may be very different from those in men. Comparing the rate of hair loss in women to men, women lose the hair at a slower rate; 20% of the locks between 40 – 50 years old. Genes or hereditary pattern is actually the main player in hair loss in men but for women hormones take centre stage.

Hormonal imbalance and changes such as when a woman enters menopausal stage or becomes pregnant can result to temporary hair loss. Thyroid conditions, hormone replacement therapy as well as taking birth controls or stopping taking them can also lead to temporary hair loss in women. In the case of female pattern baldness, testosterone is the leading cause of this hereditary condition. What happens is once testosterone is turned into DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), it damages the follicles (where hair starts growing) which results to baldness.

Stress is also a culprit in hair loss in both men and women. Medical conditions such as anemia as well as infections can also trigger hair loss. Scalp diseases caused by bacteria or fungi can also cause hair loss in both sexes. In women it has been noted that nutritional deficiencies and stress rank as two of the crucial lifestyle causes of hair loss. Women should take note that improper hair care, too much use of styling products, rough brushing and tight braids and ponytails can cause hair loss.

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